Daddy's Little Girl
by purplepagoda
Summary: This story contains a couple of spoilers from season 10, so don't read if you want to be spoiled. Relationships will be tested. Truths will be revealed. Catherine will have a lot of explaining to do.
1. Chapter 1

The phone on Catherine's desk rings.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Catherine this is Judy."

"What do you need Judy?"

"You've got a visitor. McKenzie Preston is here to see you."

"Thank you Judy, tell her that I'll be right out."

"Ok," Judy hangs up and Catherine grabs her purse.

Catherine finds McKenzie waiting on her at the reception area.

"I thought that you might have forgotten about me," McKenzie admits.

"No, I was just reading case reports. I lost track of time."

"So are you ready?"

"Yes," Catherine nods.

She follows the twenty something to her car. They drive away from the building, and make a beeline for a diner nearby.

"So where have you been?" Catherine asks after the waitress takes their orders.

"Working. I've been really busy with the hose too."

"How's Ryan?"

"My husband? I wouldn't know he was deployed. I haven't heard from him in over a week, but I guess no news is good news."

"I didn't know," Catherine reminds her.

"I know, I should have called you. I should talk to you more often."

"So how is work?"

"Miserable."

"I thought that you liked you job."

"I do, I love being a nurse. I love being in pediatrics, I just hate the hours, and being on call all the time."

"I know, but you'll be able to retire at fifty two."

"I will..."

"But?"

"I'm taking a leave of absence for three months."

"Why? Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine. I just... I've always wanted to travel around the world, and I've gotten a really great opportunity to go to central America and work. I'll be immunizing kids there."

"Where in central America?"

"Costa Rica."

"It sounds..."

"Go ahead, say it."

"It sounds like a great opportunity, but you know that Costa Rica is hot, and there are bugs there that are so big they could eat you in one bite," Catherine exaggerates a hair.

"I'll be fine."

"I know..."

"I know that you worry. Why can't you just admit that no matter how old I am you'll always worry about me?"

"Never," she shakes her head.

"And that no matter how old I am I'll always be a baby to you."

"You're not a baby. I know you're an adult, it's just hard to see you so grown up."

"I know," McKenzie nods brushing aside a strand of long, thick, curly auburn hair.

"It's hard to let go."

"I know," she smiles at Catherine with incredibly white teeth, and big brown eyes.

"Did you whiten your teeth?"

"Yes. Am I vain for that?"

"No, you had marks on your teeth from the adhesive from your braces."

"You know my birthday is next week," she reminds her as their salads arrive.

Catherine stares at her salad and dumps dressing over top of it, "I know. How could I forget?"

"I'm going to be twenty six on Tuesday."

"I'll take you to dinner."

"You can't," McKenzie tells her.

"Why not?"

"I'm flying out on Monday."

"Kenz I don't want you to go to Costa Rica," Catherine warns.

"Why not?"

"It's dangerous."

"I'll be fine."

"McKenzie don't go."

"I'm an adult I'll go if I want to, and I do want to."

"I know that I can't stop you, I've never been able to, but I don't want you to go."

"Why? Give me one good reason not to go."

"Because I asked you not to."

"Mom, you can't stop me. Why are we even having this argument I'm twenty six years old I can do what I please."

"I know. I'm sorry...McKenzie I just don't want you to..."

"To what?"

"Why didn't you ever ask me?"

"Ask you what?"

"Your whole life you never asked me about the other piece of the puzzle."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" McKenzie asks.

"Why? Why didn't you ever ask."

"I did."

"When?"

"When I was five years old. I asked you, and you told me that we'd discuss it when I was old enough to know the truth. You promised, but I'm still waiting."

"I... I'm so sorry. I forgot. I didn't know that you were waiting."

"You forgot a lot of things," McKenzie tells her.

"I know that I wasn't the best parent, but I always loved you."

"Mom, I know."

"And I didn't forget your birthday. I never forgot your birthday."

"So why didn't you..."

"Your grandmother wouldn't let me talk to you. She didn't want me to upset you. I sent you a card, I begged her to give it to you, but she wouldn't. I'm sorry that I wasn't there. I wanted to be, but I couldn't."

"I know. I know that you did the best that you could."

Catherine stares at the grown woman across the table from her. "I...I love you."

"So tell me the truth. Why are you so hung up on me not going to Costa Rica?"

"There are some fantasies in your life that you have to let die."

"So I should let this die?"

"No," Catherine shakes her head, "I met your dad at a bar one night."

"Great... I don't need to know all the details."

"He was sweet. He was out celebrating a friend's upcoming marriage. I could tell that he wasn't having much fun, so I went up to him. We started talking and..."

"And nine months later I was born."

"Forty one weeks and three days later I had you."

"And I weighed in at nine pounds three ounces."

"I was never bitter about that."

"Mom you were always bitter about that, but who wouldn't be? That's a huge baby."

"I had a real connection with your dad, but after..."

McKenzie cuts her off, "after the night I was conceived."

"I never thought that I'd see him again. I barely caught his name, but I really liked him a lot."

"It's nice to know that you _liked_ my father."

"He doesn't know about you."

"Of course not. How could he?"

"I could have told him."

"What do you mean you could have told him? You saw him again?"

"Not for several years, but yes."

"Did you bump into him at the super market or something?"

"No," Catherine shakes her head.

"So..."

"Did I mention that Sara is coming back?"

"No, are you changing the subject, or is that relevant somehow?"

"Sara and Grissom got married."

"Your point?"

"Your father was my boss."

"My father was your boss when you were a stripper so I can't go to Costa Rica? What kind of non-linear logic is that?"


	2. Chapter 2

"It's not non-linear," Catherine tells her.

"Then maybe I'm missing something."

"Your father wasn't my boss when I was a..."

"Stripper, you were a stripper, not a dancer, you were a stripper."

"He was my boss as a CSI."

"What?"

"And he's in Costa Rica."

"Oh."

"And he's married to Sara, and no one knows about you."

"I know that no one knows about me. Wait who..."

"Grissom. It's Grissom."

"You had a fling with Gil Grissom and produced me?"

"McKenzie lower your voice I don't think that the neighboring counties heard you."

"So he's in Costa Rica and you're afraid that I'm going to run into him or something?"

"Or be true to your strong-willed, independent self, and hunt him down, and tell him."

"I can't believe this," she shakes her head.

"So now do you understand why I don't want you to go to Costa Rica?"

"Yes, so now I have to go."

"You don't."

"I do, I am going."

"McKenzie please don't do this."

"Are you ashamed of me? Is that why no one in the world knows that I'm your daughter?"

"No. I'm ashamed of the type of parent I was to you during the first few years of your life."

"The bug man? Really? My father is the bug man?"

Catherine doesn't answer.

"I'm going to find him, I'm going to tell him the truth."

"Ok," she sighs.

"Are you going to be mad at me?"

"For wanting to know who you are? Absolutely not. Maybe you'll be able to understand why you're so much smarter than I am."

"I'm not..."

"Really?"

"I'm not that much smarter than you are."

"You're just saying that so that you don't hurt my feelings, we both know that you are. And why of all the things you could have been you decided to be a nurse, I'll never understand."

"It's what I love, it's who I am. I don't want to be a rocket scientist, I'm not passionate about that. I'm passionate about being a nurse."

"I know. And I love you for that."

"There are a lot of reasons that you love me. Like that I infuriate you."

"No, you don't," she admits.

"I don't?"

"If I could have had a hundred kids that were exactly like you I would have."

"Exactly like me? You hated how clingy I was when I was little, I never left you alone. And I was so smart that it was obnoxious. And so independent that you wanted to smack me sometimes."

"Not true. You were so pleasant as a child. You just smiled and laughed all the time."

"And Lindsey is the exact opposite. She's hateful, and she... she'll grow out of it."

Catherine doesn't say a word. She just stares into McKenzie's big brown eyes.

~~~ With sunglasses on her face, a wide-brimmed hat on her head, enough sun screen on to protect an elephant, and a backpack she starts the hike to the top of the mountain. Finally she finds herself in a small community filled with tents, and tan researchers. A tall dark haired man with notices her.

"Can I help you? You look a little lost."

"I'm a nurse I'm here to help immunize children."

"You climbed to the top of the mountain for nothing. They're all in a camp at the bottom, about a quarter of a mile west."

"I'm not meeting them for a while. I'm actually looking for someone. I was told that he might be here."

"Who are you looking for?"

"Gil Grissom?"

"Ah, yes, Mister Grissom is... he's around."

"Which means what exactly?"

"He's looking at bugs. You're welcome to leave your stuff here, and look around for him. Make sure you take water."

"Ok. Thank you."

McKenzie sets her stuff in a tent and starts walking again. She gets past the last tent and she hears someone.

"Shh!" he tells her.

She takes another step to try to make out his face.

"Stop," he says softly.

With a camera around his neck he snaps a photo, and then turns to the girl. He motions her forward. He studies her for a moment.

"You haven't been here long have you?"

"No why?"

"You're..."

"I'm really white. I live in the desert, it's sunny all of the time, but I don't ever get out see it. I work all night, and sleep during the day."

"Sounds like my old schedule. So are you here to do research?"

"Not quite. I'm a nurse..."

"You're here to help with immunizations?"

"Yes, and I'm here on some personal business."

"Looking for something, or someone?"

"Someone."

"Who? I might be able to help you."

"I'm sure that you can."

"You sound very confident that I can, who are you looking for?"

"You," she answers.

"I don't think so. There are a lot of grey haired men on this mountain."

"You're Grissom aren't you?"

"Yes," he nods.

"So then, you're who I'm looking for."

"Did someone send you after me?"

"No," she shakes her head.

"I was just told that you'd be here."

"Well how can I help you?"

"I don't know if you can," she admits.

"But..."

"Mister Grissom if you wouldn't mind I was just hoping that I could follow you around for a little while."

"I'm just taking pictures of bugs. I'm really not that interesting. And if you don't care for bugs..."

"I was told that there were bugs as big as I am here."

"Not quite, but close," he smiles, "Did you bring bug spray?"

She nods.

"Good, because they'll eat you alive out here."

"I'd never be forgiven if I got eaten by a bug."

"You know my name what's yours?"

"McKenzie, my name is Mckenzie."

Gil extends a hand, "Nice to meet you McKenzie."

"Nice to finally meet you," she pauses, and finally finishes with, "Grissom."

"So where are you from?"

"Las Vegas."

"My wife just went back to Vegas."

"Yeah I know."

"You know Sara?"

"No. I've never met her, I've just heard about her."

"Oh, might I ask how?"

"From Catherine."

"You know Catherine?"

"Yes," she nods.

"Actually you kind of remind me of her."

"There is a reason that I remind you of her."

"Really? What's that?"

"I'm her daughter."

"Catherine's daughter is just a teenager, her name is Lindsey," he answers in disbelief.

"I know. I'm Lindsey's sister."

"I've known Catherine for years I never knew that she had another child. She never mentioned it to me."

"I think that there is a reason behind that."

"Like what?"

"You know today is my birthday?"

"What?" he squints and looks at her in confusion.

"I'm twenty-six."

"Happy Birthday," he tells her.

"Thank you."

"Wait how old are you?" he questions.

"I'm twenty-six," she repeats with a big smile.


	3. Chapter 3

He says nothing. He just studies her very carefully. "Why were you looking for me exactly?" he questions her.

"I wanted to meet you."

"But why?"

"I know," she answers.

"Excuse me?"

"I know that you had a thing with my mom."

He doesn't respond.

"I was born forty one weeks and three days later I was born," she finishes.

"You think that..."

"Yes," she answers before he can choke out the statement.

"McKenzie you seem very nice but I don't think I'm who you're looking for."

"You're Grissom," she points out.

"But I don't think that I am..."

"My father?"

"Yes," he nods.

"I don't think that you are either," she begins.

"Oh," he sighs in relief.

She finishes, "I know that you are."

He just stares at her. She stares into his deep blue eyes. She pulls a picture out of her pocket. She carefully hands the worn picture to him. He takes it from her.

Calmly, evenly he asks, "This is you?"

"I was... two months old," she answers.

"I'm sorry," he tells her.

"For what?" she asks.

"I'd really like to tell you that you look just like Catherine, but you don't."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I... you look like me," he admits.

"Oh."

He hands the picture back to her, "Why didn't she tell me?"

"I don't know. I wish that she had."

"So do I. I really would have really liked to be in your life."

"It's never too late."

"I missed your whole childhood..."

"That's not your fault. You didn't know about me," she points out.

"Tell me about yourself."

"What's to tell?"

"I don't know anything about you, so everything."

"I know lots about you."

"You do?"

"Of course. My mom, she talks about you all of the time."

"She does?"

"Yeah," McKenzie nods.

"You're a nurse?"

"Yes much to my mother's dismay."

"Why's that?"

"She would have liked me to be a rocket scientist, or a brain surgeon."

"You didn't want to be?"

"No, I could have been, but I didn't want to. I wanted to be a nurse, so that's what I am."

"So you live in Las Vegas?"

"Technically I live in Henderson."

"Do you like it there?"

"I do. I love my house..."

"But?" he raises an eyebrow as he takes a seat on a rock.

"But it's empty, and quiet," she admits as she takes a seat on the ground.

"Do you have a boyfriend, or a..."

"I'm married. I got married when I was seventeen. Mom definitely wasn't happy about that, but she got over it. Anyway, my husband is in the Marines, so I very rarely see him."

"So you came here to spite him?"

"Maybe a little bit."

"Do you have any kids?"

"No. I'd like to, but Ryan won't hear it. Not that it matters, I mean I never see him, so it's not likely to happen any time soon."

"Things happen in due time."

"You know that you're the one right?"

"Excuse me?"

"Never mind," McKenzie rolls her eyes.

"No tell me, what were you talking about?"

"You're the one that she measures everyone against."

"Who?"

"Catherine."

"You call her Catherine."

"Most of the time. I have since I was five."

"Why?"

"She missed my birthday. So the next time I saw her I refused to talk to her. She took me to an arcade, to make up for it I guess."

_Flashback:_

"_McKenzie are you ready to go eat?" Catherine asks the five year old._

"_No," she answers defiantly._

"_Please," Catherine begs trying to be patient._

"_I don't want to," McKenzie answers._

"_McKenzie I'm your mother, I said that it's time to go eat, so we're going to go eat."_

"_No you're not."_

"_I'm not?"_

"_No, Catherine. You're not."_

"_McKenzie don't call me that. I'm your mom."_

"_I don't have a mom."_

"_Kenz... why are you acting like this?"_

"_I don't like you anymore," the little girl lies through tear filled eyes._

End of flashback

"It sounds like you were really upset."

"I was. I spent a lot of time with my grandma when I was little. I resented mom for that. She was my whole world, and she never seemed to be around enough. I understand now that it was the best thing that she could have done for me. She was protecting me."

"Why were you with your grandmother so much?"

"Because mom worked a lot, and when she wasn't working... well she just wasn't around a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"My life hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine."

"Life rarely is," he nods.

"I grew up very fast. Mom wasn't around a lot because she had a drug problem for a while. I... it's always been an issue for us. But, hey, life is tough times, hard knocks."

"McKenzie I'm really would have like to have been there for you. I really would have liked to have known about you. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. You didn't know about me, you couldn't have known about me."

Grissom thinks for a second and then tells her, "I saw you once... I think. Maybe twelve years ago. I went to see a movie. I thought that I saw your mom, but then I saw you. I just figured that it was someone who resembled Catherine. It was dark, and I just brushed it off as coincidence."

"Jurassic park?"

"Yes. I almost feel ashamed to admit that I saw it, but I was just so curious. How did you know?"

"It's the only movie that I saw with her that year. It was the last movie I saw with her until I was an adult."

"So it was you?"

"Yes, and by the way she saw you, well she heard you. She hates when anyone makes any noise after the previews start. She turned around and saw you. We had to sit through all of the credits to make sure that you didn't see us. That's why we didn't go to another movie together until I was an adult."

"How is Catherine... how is your mom?"

"She's the same is always, completely and totally dedicated to her job."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"She's not around for Lindsey as much as she should be."

He just stares at her, saying nothing.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm just in shock I guess."

"Yeah I can understand that. I was really shocked when she told me that you were my dad. I always just figured that you'd be some loser, prick that she picked up at some sleazy bar and had a one night stand with. I figured she'd never told me who my dad was because she didn't remember his name. Boy was I surprised when she told me that it was you."

"I don't understand why she never told you."

"Because I would want to get to know you."

"So?"

"You were her boss."

"I don't understand McKenzie."

"If you were in my life, if you were around her more... she'd never cross the line drawn in the sand."

"What line?"

"The one that separates co-worker from lover."


	4. Chapter 4

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're happily married."

"But what did you mean?"

"I don't want to place the blame totally on you, but you're part of the reason why she hasn't had a successful relationship in recent history."

"What do you mean?"

"Every man she's ever been with has never compared."

"To what?"

"To you. You're the one she compares them all to, and none of them ever measure up."

"I didn't know that she felt that way."

"When you went on sabbatical I had to keep a really close eye on her."

"What do you mean?"

"She likes to replace emotion with other things, she doesn't like to feel things, especially when it comes to you."

"She replaces emotion with what other things?"

"Sex, drugs, booze, food, she took up smoking for a while when I was little. Whatever takes the edge off."

He says nothing.

"When you came here she didn't have time to think about it because she was too busy working. Luckily Las Vegas is never short on murder, if people stopped getting murdered she'd go off the deep end."

Again he says nothing.

"Gil Grissom she's completely hung up on you."

He just stares into her big blue eyes.

"Are you ok?"

"I think that I made a really big mistake," he admits.

"What do you mean?"

"I always thought that it was a possibility that she had feelings for me. But she never said anything. Then I thought that maybe I was just misinterpreting things, I do miss things sometimes, especially when it comes to the people closest to me. When Sara came along... when she told me how she felt about me at first I was hesitant. Then I realized how compatible we would be, and I had given up on being with Catherine. I mean it was a fantasy really..."

"I should go," McKenzie turns to leave.

He grabs her forearm, "Wait," he tells her.

"I shouldn't have come here. I never meant to do this. I just wanted to meet you. I just wanted you to know about me. I don't want to be responsible for this."

"For what?"

"You're married. You could have been happy for the rest of your life with Sara, but now you'll always wonder what would have been, what could have been."

"No I won't," he admits.

"So you're just going to let it go?"

"No. I'm not going to just let it go."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Vegas."

"To get Sara?"

"No. Why would I go to Vegas to get Sara?"

"I don't know."

"She's coming back."

"Not if she finds out."

"How would she find out?"

"If you go to Vegas she'll find out."

"Oh."

"What did I do? I'm so sorry I never should have come here, I never should have come looking for you. I've completely ruined your whole life."

"You didn't."

"I did, I've got to go."

"McKenzie..."

"What?"

"I've obviously got some things to sort out, but I want you to know it doesn't change the fact that I'd like to get to know you."

"Why? Why would you want to get to know me?"

"You're my daughter."

"Maybe I'm not, maybe my slutty mother slept with someone else, and I belong to someone else."

"Did she say that you belong to me?"

"Yes," McKenzie nods.

"Then you do."

"Don't you want a DNA test?"

"No."

"I've screwed up everything for you."

"No you didn't. I came here because I was needed to find myself. I was looking for the piece of me that was missing. I think that I was running from the truth."

"I didn't know that you talked this much."

"What do you mean?"

"Mom always said how quiet you were."

"I was. It's really quiet here, aside from the bugs. You have to talk to fill up the silence sometimes."

"Oh," she nods.

"McKenzie," he says softly.

"Yes?"

"I'm not your missing piece," he tells her.

"You are."

"Do you feel whole?"

"No," she shakes her head.

"Then I'm not it."

"So what exactly do I do? I'm so tired feeling like a piece of me is missing."

"Do what you came here for. There will be a lot of quiet, peaceful nights, and eventually it'll hit you."

She rolls her eyes and begins to walk away from him. After she leaves Grissom grabs his stuff. He catches the red eye to Las Vegas.

When he steps out of the airport in Las Vegas the sun is hot, and his eyes are bloodshot. He grabs his bag and hails a cab. When the cabbie asks where he's going he confidently answers him. As they pull away from the airport Grissom asks.

"What time is it?"

"Twelve thirty," he answers.

"Thanks," Grissom smiles. He pulls his cell phone out. He turns it on and is surprised to find that it's still charged. He dials a familiar answer.

"CSI, this is Judy how can I help you?"

"Judy this is Grissom," he answers.

"If you're calling for Sara she and Catherine both went home a while ago."

"Ok, thank you Judy," he hangs up.

Several minutes later he arrives at his destination. He pays the cab driver, and grabs his bag. He knocks on the door, and waits. Finally several minutes later the unlocks and opens. She just stares at him with eyes the size of silver dollars.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Did I wake you up?"

"It's ok," she smiles.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course," she answers him.

"But what are you doing here I thought that you were going to stay in the jungle."


	5. Chapter 5

"I was, but I had a change of heart."

"Oh. So why are you here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you here? At my house?"

"Is Lindsey home?"

"No why?"

"Just wondering."

"Gil when did you leave Costa Rica?"

"Yesterday," he answers.

"Oh," she sighs in relief.

"Well last night," he admits.

She waits for a second.

"Catherine why didn't you tell me?" he questions.

"Tell you what?"

"Why didn't you tell me about our daughter?"

"She found you?"

"Yes she found me."

"So you talked to her?"

"Yes. She's... she's incredible. She's smart and..."

"She's beautiful isn't she?"

"Uh huh," he agrees.

"Gil I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you. By the time that you became my boss I had already decided that I would raise her on my own. When I realized how great of a person you are I felt guilty that I didn't tell either one of you, but I didn't want you to feel obligated. And I didn't want..."

He sits his bag down by her front door. He locks the door. She looks at him in confusion. "What are you doing?" she asks.

He carefully touches her cheek. She feels his warm breath against her cheek. She feels like she's got a ton of bricks on her chest. She finds it difficult to breath, and nearly impossible to resist kissing him right then and there. She takes a deep breath and comments, "You must be starving."

"Nope, I'm fine," he answers her never breaking eye contact.

"Gil," she says softly.

He cups her face. "Don't," he warns her.

"I..."

"Don't think," he tells her.

"Gil..." she pushes him away, "You're married," she reminds him.

"It doesn't matter."

"It does matter? I know how I felt when my husband cheated on me. I wouldn't want to do that to anyone else. I'd never want to be the other woman."

"You're not the other woman, you're the only woman," he tells her.

She feels woozy, and goes weak in the knees. With baited breath she tells him, "You should go."

"You don't want this do you? You don't want to be with me."

"I do. Gil I've been in love with you for nearly twenty-seven years. I never ever got that night out of my head."

"Neither did I. I just figured that you didn't remember, or that it was all a dream. I never wanted that night to end. I was young and when I told all my friends that I was in love with you, that you were the one they just laughed at me and made fun of me."

"I still can't do this. I wouldn't want to be the reason that your marriage failed. I wouldn't want it to come between you and Sara."

"Catherine I do love her, but not like I love you. You can't change it anyway. What Sara and I have is over."

"Does she know that?"

"No, but I think that... the honeymoon is over why do you think she came back here?"

"It doesn't matter," Catherine tells him.

He stares into her blue eyes. He takes a step closer. He touches her face again, and then pulls her closer. He kisses her, and her brain turns itself off, and her heart, and hormones kick into over drive. He runs his fingers through her hair and gently pulls the clip out of it, and tosses it aside. She takes the hat sitting on his head and throws it across the room. He begins to unbutton her shirt, and they move from the living room toward the dining room. He kicks off his shoes, and she tries to lead him to her bedroom. She begins to unfasten his belt and he tosses her shirt aside. She takes a breath and has a second thought. As his belt, and her shirt fall to the floor her eyes meet his.

"Gil... I can't do this. Not now. You have to tell Sara."

"No. I can't not do this now. You don't know how long I've wanted this, you don't know how many times I've thought about it. Do you know how hard it is to listen to you when I'm thinking about..."

"Gil," she begins to protest.

He scoops her off her feet and kisses her. He pushes her door open, and gently lays her on the bed.

Meanwhile in Costa Rica McKenzie mindlessly immunizes children. A young mother comes into the tent with her chubby toddler. McKenzie smiles at the little girl, and her mother.

"Como se llama?" McKenzie asks looking at the beautiful baby.

"Estella," the woman answers.

"She's beautiful," McKenzie says under her breath.

"Do you have any children?" the woman asks in perfect English.

"No," McKenzie shakes her head in surprise.

"You will," the woman assures her.

"I hope."

"My name is Isabel. My husband and I move here a couple of years ago."

"Really?"

"Yes. We're from New Mexico originally, he's here for a job."

"How old is she?"

"Eighteen months."

McKenzie looks at the little girl, she smiles and says, "Hi sweetie."

"Hi," she says in a tiny voice.

"I'm going to give you a little shot, ok? It might hurt a little."

The little girl looks up at her. McKenzie grabs a sucker and hands it to her after removing the wrapper. The little one sticks it in her mouth. McKenzie quickly gives her the shot. The baby doesn't even flinch. She looks at the baby, "All done Estella. That wasn't so bad was it?"

The baby offers up a taste of her sucker. McKenzie grins from ear to ear, "No thank you."

Sara sits on the couch of her new apartment and stares at the occupant on the other end. "Hank," she says.

His ears perk up and he hops off the couch. He stops next to her and licks her.

"I missed you too," she tells him as she pets him.

He sits next to her very contentedly. "How do you like this place?"

He doesn't answer. She carefully gets off the couch and moves toward the kitchen. He follows her. He stares at her with sad eyes, and tries to shake.

"Catherine and Lindsey spoiled you didn't they?" she asks as she hands the dog the treat.

He simply eats his treat. Sara looks in the fridge for something to drink. He stands up on his hind legs and knocks the box of treats off the island and onto the floor. He scarfs down four before she can get the box away from him.


	6. Chapter 6

She lays in her bed completely naked except for the sheet over top of her. She takes a quick look at the clock. He stares at her, and smiles.

"Gil..."

"Yeah?" he asks.

"You should get going."

"Cath..." he starts to protest.

She cuts him off, "Lindsey will be home in no time."

"Ok," he agrees.

She watches him as he climbs out of bed and begins gathering his clothing. He stops in the doorway and turns to face her.

"I love you," he declares.

She says nothing.

He continues, "I'd really like to stay."

"I know," she answers.

"You should have told me," he tells her.

"I know, but things aren't always so simple."

"I know," he nods.

"I denied the both of you a relationship, and I'll always regret that."

"You did what you thought was best," he tells her.

"No, I did it because I was being selfish."

Across town Sara's T.V. is on. She lay's on the couch with Hank, half asleep. He jumps of the couch and runs to the door, barking once. She jumps, and opens her eyes. She wanders to the door, and takes a peak out the peephole. She opens the door and lets him in.

"What are you doing here?" she asks him.

"I have some things that I need to take care of."

"I'm really glad that you came because I need to talk to you," she tells him as she moves in for a hug. He hugs her for a few moments and then lets go of her. He comes in and shuts the door behind him. He scratches Hank on the top of the head, "How have you been boy?" he asks. Of course Hank doesn't respond.

"Sara we need to talk," he informs her.

"Ok," she agrees, moving toward the couch. They each take seats. He sits in an armchair, and she sits on the couch. They sit in silence for a few moments.

"Why are you all the way over there?"

"Sara..."

"Gil can I go first?"

"Of course," he nods being his usual courteous self.

"I wasn't entirely honest about why I wanted to come back."

"Ok," he nods waiting for an elaboration.

"I do miss it here, as much as I never thought I would."

"Yes you told me this."

"I just... I thought that it would be safer if I came back."

"Safer?"

"Yeah. There are hospitals, and phones here. There aren't hospitals or phones in the jungle."

"There are hospitals and phones in Costa Rica."

"But not anywhere close to where we were."

"Were you afraid that you'd get injured?"

"What? No."

"I don't understand."

"I just feel safer knowing that there are hospitals nearby when I need them."

"Am I missing something?"

"Yes, are you paying attention?"

"Sara I'm sort of distracted."

"Oh, maybe you should go first, so that you'll understand what I have to tell you."

"No you should go first."

"The first day I was back I went to the doctor."

"Is something wrong? Are you sick?"

"No Gris I'm fine."

"I'm not sure that I understand."

"I just went as a precaution."

"As a precaution?"

"Just to make sure that everything is ok."

"So you went to the doctor so that he could tell you that everything is ok with you?"

"No."

"That's what you just said," he points out.

"I just wanted to make sure before I told you."

"Told me what? Sara I'm not following you at all."

"Gil I'm pregnant."

He says nothing to her. He just stares at her in horror not entirely sure what to say.

"I didn't know how you were going to react. At first I thought that I should wait to tell you, but then after I went to the doctor and he told me that everything is alright I couldn't wait to tell you."

He says nothing.

"Please say something? Look if you aren't ready to be..."

"I'm just not sure what to say," he admits.

"You don't want to have a baby?"

"I didn't say that. I'd love to have a baby."

"But?"

He doesn't say anything. Instead he stares at Hank, hoping the dog can help him out.

"What did you want to talk about?" Sara asks.

"I don't think that now is the best time," he admits.

"You can tell me."

"I don't want to upset you."

"I'm fine," she assures him.

"I have a daughter," he answers her.

"What?"

"I've got a daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes," he nods.

"You're sure?"

"Yes of course I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just found out," he tells her.

"When?"

"Yesterday," he admits.

"How old is she?"

"Twenty six."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," he nods.

"She's twenty six and you're just now finding out about her?"

"Yes," he nods.

"How do you know that she's yours?"

He pulls a picture out of his pocket. It's a Polaroid that a researcher had snapped of them the day before. He hands it to Sara, "Her name is McKenzie."

"When is this from?" she questions staring at the picture.

"Yesterday."

"You met her yesterday?"

"Yes," he answers.

"And it was the first you knew about her?"

"Uh huh."

Sara carefully stares at the picture. There was no way anyone could argue that the girl didn't belong to Gil Grissom. She had the same hair, it was a different color, but it was the same texture. She had his big blue eyes, and his lips. She even had the same smile. Sara hands the picture back to her husband.

"So why are you just now finding about her?"

"Her mom didn't tell either of us."

"So she didn't know that you were her father?"

"No."

"And you didn't know that you had a daughter?"

"No. If I did I wouldn't have hidden it from you."

"So why didn't her mother tell you about her?"

"It's complicated."

"Simplify it."

"We weren't in a relationship."

"Oh," she nods, "So why did she tell her now?"

"Because she was headed to Costa Rica to immunize children."

"And?"

"I don't know Catherine's reasoning. I don't understand most of what she does," he slips.

"Her mother's name is Catherine?"

"Uh huh," he nods.

"What did you say your daughter's name is?"

"Her name is McKenzie."

"McKenzie what?"

"McKenzie Preston," he answers.

"So her mom's name is Catherine Preston?"

"No. McKenzie is married," he answers.


End file.
